World's 'oldest' person dies aged 116 after putting his long life down to never marrying

Last updated at 22:05 17 December 2007

He attributed his longetivity to the fact that he had never married.

But at 116, age finally caught up with Hryhoriy Nestor, the man thought to have been the oldest in the world.

The former farm labourer died last Friday in his sleep in the village of Stary Yarychev, in the western part of Ukraine.

He died before proof of his age was submitted to Guinness World Records.

Scroll down for more...

As a result, the title of world's oldest person remains with American Edna Parker, who is 114.

Mr Nestor was born in March 1891, when Ukraine was part of the Tsar's Russian empire.

He lived through the 1917 Revolution, the German occupation of Ukraine in 1941 and the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Just a few close relatives and neighbours gathered for Mr Nestor's funeral, the Kiev newspaper Segodnya reported.

In accordance with his wish that there should be no crying, a hearty meal was served of his favourite dishes: warm potato and herring, and cabbage with home-made sausage.

Oksana, one of the relations with whom he lived, said he had led an active life to the last, helping around the house, whether it was making dumplings or tending the chickens.

He was no different on Friday, though he doused his head with cold water that evening - something he had often done before, complaining of headaches.

"His death came as a surprise to us, he just didn't wake up again," Oksana said.

"After his master's death, his favourite cat Murchik didn't go into his corner like he usually did but lay down on his bed," she added.

Born, according to family documents, on 15 March 1891, Mr Nestor, a former farm labourer, put his long life down to the fact that he never married.

"He didn't find himself a mate because he was a short man and never had money," Oksana believes.

He also led a healthy life, she says.

He loved to get outside and would run barefoot through the grass. Vodka he drank in moderation, and his favourite food was simple country fare with his greatest luxury a slice of sausage in a bread roll.